ABSTRACT - Dissemination and Outreach Core The Dissemination and Outreach Core will connect the Duke Autism Center of Excellence to the broader community by engaging individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families, practitioners, scientists, and policymakers regarding important problems they face and helping Duke ACE Center investigators use this knowledge to design studies, interpret findings, and disseminate information to these stakeholders. The Core will nurture the career development of junior and mid-career investigators who wish to contribute to the science of ASD and also encourage a scientific perspective on the process and effectiveness of dissemination. The Core will leverage existing and develop new partnerships with organizations within and external to Duke University whose efforts are well-aligned with the goals of this Core. External partners include the Autism Society of North Carolina, Autism Speaks, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Child Care Services Association, and the Latino Educational Achievement Partnership. Within Duke, organizations include the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke ADHD Program, Center for Child and Family Policy, Community Connections and Collaboration Core of the Clinical and Translational Science Award, and Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. In partnership with these organizations and key community stakeholders, the Core will promote communication between the Center and the broader community to ensure that scientific findings from the Duke ACE Center have their greatest possible impact on individuals with ASD and their families in real world settings. Aims of this Core are to (1) translate and disseminate findings to the community via dissemination materials, community informational events, talks in the community, and public awareness activities. The Core will also hold stakeholder training programs that build community members' expertise and knowledge about research. The Core will use traditional and social media outlets, build a Center website, provide scientific lectures, and disseminate scientific briefings for policy leaders; (2) promote two-way communication between investigators and the community of individuals affected by autism by hosting community engagement events, focus groups, and community and research focused tours designed to facilitate discussions between research and community stakeholders, with an emphasis on input from underrepresented groups; (3) encourage and support junior and established researchers new to the field of ASD, particularly those from underrepresented groups, via a wide range of activities and innovative programs, including involvement in ACE Center research, interdisciplinary research teams offered at Duke, summer camps for high school students, and targeted programs for those from under-represented backgrounds; and (4) encourage Center investigators to use research findings and theory on the process and effectiveness of dissemination of scientific findings. Metrics will be collected to evaluate each activity to assess its effectiveness in promoting dissemination and outreach.